Archives for July 2000

Q. I’ve read in one of the recent posts that a background check is a standard procedure and everyone has to go through it. The post also said that this “background check” starts as soon as the application is lodged. This all sounds great, because I thought this check is only started AFTER the interview and is done only if the immigration officer deems it necessary. This is at least what I understood from the Overseas Processing Manual (OP Manual). The OP manual says that after the interview, should an immigration officer think it necessary, he/she can contact any other Canadian processing offices to obtain further information about the applicant.

Which is correct?

Answer: You are referring to two differing processes. A background clearance is conducted for all applicants between the ages of 18 and 65, and is started shortly after receipt of the application by the visa office. It is conducted in conjunction with the Canadian Security and Information Service (CSIS) and the government(s) of the country in which the applicant has resided.

You are referring to verification of the absence or presence of prior applications for permanent or temporary status in Canada with other visa offices. This may be done in the case of an applicant who is being processed at an office outside of the jurisdiction of their current or prior residence(s).

Q. My university does not appear on the CCPE list, although it is larger and more prestigious from other universities in my country that do appear on the list. Does this prevent my eligibility to immigrate to Canada?

Answer: Appearance of an applicant’s institution on the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) list does not exempt that individual from the requirement of CCPE assessment, and does not automatically mean approval. Similarly, the absence from this list does not necessarily mean that an applicant is not eligible for a positive CCPE assessment.

Even in the absence of such a positive assessment, the Immigration Laws or official policies do not preclude eligibility as an Engineer if the applicant is otherwise able to demonstrate employability in Canada as an Engineer.

Finally, in the absence of CCPE approval, approval by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Techologists (CCTT) may remain possible, and may allow for success in the immigration application process.

After a slight pause in April, the upward trend in employment resumed in May with an estimated increase of 42,000 jobs. This brought gains from May 1999 to May 2000 to 413,000 (+2.8%). May’s employment rise pushed the unemployment rate down 0.2 percentage points to 6.6%, the lowest since March 1976.

Full-time job gains

Full-time employment increased by an estimated 38,000 in May, more than offsetting the decline of 29,000 in April. Part-time employment was little changed.

From May 1999 to May 2000, full-time employment advanced 3.1% (+369,000) while part-time employment increased at a slower pace of 1.7% (+44,000).

Total hours worked were little changed in May from April, but were up 2.8% compared with May 1999, reflecting strong growth in full-time employment over the period.

The overall employment increase was concentrated among adult men aged 25 and over and youths (those 15 to 24). For adult men, employment increased by 20,000, as full-time employment bounced back (+31,000) from the decline in April. This continued the upward employment trend, and brought total gains among adult men to 158,000 (+2.4%) between May 1999 and May 2000. Almost all of the increase over this period was in full-time jobs. The unemployment rate among adult men edged down in May from April to 5.5% (-0.1 percentage points).

Foreign professionals who apply for a Canadian Immigrant Visa under the “Skilled Worker” category are assessed under a “points” system. Under current Federal Selection Criteria, applicants are awarded “units of assessment” for a number of objective factors, such as age, education, occupational background and language ability.

In addition, since 1993, applicants who have a close relative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident are awarded an additional 5 “bonus” points. Thus, instead of being required to obtain a minimum of 70 points to qualify, these “assisted relatives” need only obtain 65 points.

There has been a certain amount of controversy in recent years as to whether the 5 bonus points could be awarded where the relative in Canada was related to the principal applicant’s spouse. Based on a literal interpretation of the Regulations, lawyers working for Citizenship and Immigration Canada have opined that the 5 bonus points should NOT be awarded in such cases. However, individual Visa Officers have been known to award the 5 bonus points despite this legal opinion.

In a recently issued Operations Memorandum, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has attempted to settle this controversial issue. In the OM, the purpose behind the awarding of the 5 bonus points is examined: namely, that an immigrant FAMILY will have an easier time becoming established in Canada if he or she has relatives in Canada who can assist with such matters as accommodation, job searching, child care, and so on. The OM concludes as follows:

“Therefore, in cases where the applicant and his spouse are both part of the application that is being assessed, it is recommended that officers award the 5 bonus points to a principal applicant whose SPOUSE is an uncle or aunt, brother or sister, son or daughter, nephew or niece or grandson or granddaughter of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 19 years of age and who resides in Canada.”

Hopefully, this new OM will make it that much easier for more foreign professionals to qualify for Canadian permanent resident status.

Q. Did you know that skilled foreign professionals can obtain legal status to work in Canada in as little as one to ten days?

Answer: Relocating temporary foreign workers to Canada is a truly viable — though under-utilized — solution to the ongoing shortage of qualified Canadian employees.

To remain competitive in today’s global market, Canadian employers must take greater advantage of the ever-growing pool of qualified foreign workers. Yet some Canadian businesses are still of the opinion that it is too complicated and time-consuming to fill local openings with skilled professionals from abroad. Perhaps recruiting policies would change if Canadian employers knew that legal status to work in Canada can, in many cases, be obtained in a matter of days.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), for example, citizens of the United States and Mexico can apply for work permits (called Employment Authorizations in Canada) directly at a Canadian border crossing. The most common NAFTA application relates to skilled professionals, such as computer systems analysts, management consultants, engineers, scientists/technicians, health workers and accountants. In addition, companies with offices on both sides of the border can transfer many of their employees to and from Canada under NAFTA. There is generally no delay whatsoever for these types of applications.

Qualified software developers from anywhere in the world also benefit from expedited Employment Authorization processing. Candidates must generally apply at a Canadian Visa Office abroad, and will usually receive their permission to work in as soon as one day or up to six weeks, depending on the Visa Office involved and whether medical examinations are required.

Employment situations for which Employment Authorizations can be easily obtained are many. Suffice it to say that Canadian employers who enquire into the attractive programs offered under Canada’s immigration rules may be in for a pleasant surprise.

Please consult the Temporary Employment Visa Calculator to obtain a preliminary indication of a foreign individual’s eligibility to work in Canada on a temporary basis. You may also wish to complete our Temporary Employment Questionnaire for a free in-depth evaluation of the particular circumstances of your proposed Canadian work/employment arrangement.

A resume is a marketing document of sorts in which YOU are the product. Therefore, the first step to writing an effective resume is identifying the skills and abilities you have acquired that will be recognized and valued by potential employers.

Studies have been done that indicate that employers spend no more than 20 seconds glancing over each resume they receive, so it is important to make a good first impression in terms of both form and content. The information you present must be visually appealing, consistently formatted, and error-free. Errors in grammar or spelling will disqualify you immediately, so always have a native speaker proofread your resume.

Contact information — name, address, telephone, fax numbers and e-mail address — usually appears at the top of the page.

Next, state your Objective, or the kind of work you wish to do. Often, individuals list different objectives for the different kinds of jobs to which they are applying; your objective need not always be the same.

Under a heading such as Professional or Work Experience, list positions you have held in reverse chronological order (starting with the most recent first), including dates employed and company name. You must then discuss the tasks you set out to do and your accomplishments while employed by each company.
In order to emphasize your contribution to the workplace as well as in the interests of saving space, it is crucial to use active language when describing your role in positions you have held in the past.

Some action words include the following: achieved,acquired, addressed, analyzed, centralized, coordinated, created, demonstrated, designed, eliminated, enforced, implemented, improved, maintained, managed, organized, oversaw, performed, reorganized, reviewed, selected, supervised, surveyed, trained
As your reader’s time is limited, you must avoid using paragraphs or long sentences to describe the work you did. The bullet style — use of an action word followed by a telegraphic account of the action you performed — enables you to include a lot of information about your work-related duties, responsibilities and achievements in as condensed a form as possible.Next, under a heading labeled Education, note dates attended and degrees conferred, with year of graduation, majors and minors, honors and awards where applicable. Be sure to include any special certification or training you may have.Finally, under the heading of Special Skills, list such information as knowledge of foreign languages, including programming languages as well as any knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet or other programs.

Today, use of the internet permits you access to resume building kits online, along with free tips for writing cover letters, interviewing, and negotiating a salary.

If posting your resume online, it is generally advisable to do the following:
– Left justify the entire document
– Use a standard font, size 10-14 only
– Avoid boldface, underlined or italicized print
– Avoid parentheses, graphics, shading, tabs and hard returns

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